


It Don't Come Easy

by Kye_Kreole



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Olivarry Secret Valentine 2019, Road Trips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-28 09:04:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17784512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kye_Kreole/pseuds/Kye_Kreole
Summary: Barry meets his soulmate but there's something not quite right about the whole situation.





	It Don't Come Easy

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentine's Day.  
> Hope you feel the love in some way, shape, or form.

“Barry Allen!”

Barry jumps up to grab the coffee. Iris texting Linda, getting details about the Valentine’s Party they’re going to tonight. Apparently,  _ Verdant _ in Star City is the place to be on Valentine’s Day and Linda had nabbed a few tickets. So, they’d jumped on the first train this morning and sleepily made their way to the city. Now stocking up on caffeine before the long day ahead of them.

He picks up the cups and slowly turns…

And runs straight into someone.

The person yelps as the hot coffees soak into their business suit.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” Barry says as he grabs napkins and starts pressing them on the stains. 

“It’s fine, just,” the man hisses when Barry presses on a stain on his chest.

Barry looks up to see the man’s face. He sees a strong jaw covered with scruff that just defines it more, high cheekbones, and long nose. Then he sees his eyes and he feels his stomach clench and his heart starts beating faster.

There’s something different about his eyes. They stand out in the black and white world around him.

Then they close and the man gasps again, pressing his hand to his eyes.

“What the fuck?” he screams. 

Barry steps away and another man steps forward, looking him over.

“Oliver, what’s going on?” the dark-skinned man asks.

The man, Oliver, tries to open his eyes but they shut again.

“I can’t… see…”

“Barry?”

Barry jumps and sees Iris stepping up to stand next to him. She looks different as well. Not completely, just something is slightly off; her skin, her clothes.

“I don’t know,” he answers her unsaid question

“What’s your name?” the dark-skinned man asks him.

“Barry Allen,” he says. 

“Well, Barry,” the man continues, “is there something up with your vision too?”

Barry stares at him, then looks around the shop. There is something different. The world isn’t black and white and grey anymore. He doesn’t know what’s different though. 

“I think so,” he whispers, squinting at the menu, trying to figure out what’s so strange about it. 

“I thought so,” the man says.

“What’s going on, Diggle?” Oliver asks, blinking rapidly.

Diggle hands Oliver his sunglasses. “He’s your soulmate, Oliver.”

Iris gasps and Barry’s head snaps forward to look at the two men. 

Soulmate? That must mean what he’s seeing is… color?

Oliver has the sunglasses on and he’s looking at Barry, mouth open in shock.

“My… soul…” he staggers back and turns to rush out of the shop.

Barry makes to follow him but Diggle steps in his way. 

“Probably not the best idea,” he tells Barry, then holds up his phone. “If you give me your number, we’ll be in touch.”

Barry nods and puts in his information. Diggle nods and smiles kindly before he leaves the shop and Barry just watches. 

He feels a hand on his arm, tugging him out the door.

“Come on, Bear,” Iris whispers. “Let’s go.”

Barry realizes everyone in the shop is staring at him. They stop by their table to grab their bags. Iris calls Linda as they leave, getting the motel’s address. Barry looks around the world, trying to see the colors. 

They’re nothing like he remembers his mother describing them to him. She had said that they make the world beautiful and that beauty is where love can grow. But these colors? They not beautiful at all. He can hardly see them. It’s almost as if they’re scared to be seen.

“What’s it like?” Iris asks him as they continue down the sidewalk.

“Boring,” he says.

~

Barry sits in a booth, staring at his drink. Lights flash in time with the pounding bass. Green, he remembers. They’d looked up colors before they’d come and even if they’re dull as hell, it’s still nice to know.

He’d tried to convince Iris to let him just stay at the motel, but she’d shoved him into clothes she’d deemed party worthy and pushed him out the door.

The party is fun and he had been dancing but then the lights had changed to the same color as Oliver’s eyes and he just lost all his energy. 

Now he sits, sipping his drink and trying to force out the image of Oliver - his soulmate - running away from him. 

“You look like you could use some company.”

Barry looks up and sees Diggle sliding into the booth. Barry’s heart rushes and he looks around trying to see if Oliver- 

“He’s up in his office,” Diggle says. “He’s not really up to being a host right now.”

Barry deflates and looks back down to his drink.

“It’s not your fault,” Diggle continues. “Oliver’s just not used to seeing the world that way.”

Barry snorts and mumbles, “Obviously.”

“What’s it like, seeing from his point of view?”

Barry sighs and looks around the room again. He catches glimpses of colors; red, blue, orange, and green. So much green. 

“It’s almost like the colors aren’t even there,” he finally answers. “I have to focus to even see what they are. I almost wish I didn’t know they’re there.”

He looks back at Diggle and sees him nodding. 

“Oliver doesn’t really like life,” Diggle explains. “Sure he seems happy and he goes about like everything’s fine, but he can’t hide the fact that he doesn’t like it.”

Barry looks down again, running a finger along the glass. 

“Do you live in Star City?” Diggle suddenly asks.

Barry looks up and cautiously shakes his head.

“I’m guessing you and your friend are going home tomorrow?”

“Friends,” Barry clarifies. “The three of us are finishing up our degrees in Central City.”

Diggle nods then pulls out his phone and types quickly.

“Text me your friends' info and tell them a car will pick them up in the morning. I’ll be taking you home myself.”

Barry’s jaw drops and his brain grasps for a coherent response. 

“Why?” is all he can come up with.

“Trust me,” Diggle says, sliding out of the booth and walking away, leaving Barry sitting flabbergasted.

~

Diggle sends him plane tickets for Iris and Linda which they are immensely excited about. They even get picked up in a limo. They try to hide their excitement, but they’re practically vibrating when they get in.

Barry watches them drive away as he stands outside the motel. Diggle is on his way, at least according to his texts. Barry just doesn’t know what to expect. Is Diggle feeling guilty for Oliver and wants to make up for it? Is he going to tell Barry that Oliver doesn’t want a soulmate? Or that Oliver just doesn’t want Barry as his soulmate?

Barry pushes down the tears that start to form at the thought. 

His mother used to tell him that having a soulmate is the greatest gift anyone could ask for. To have a person who knows and understands you so completely, you’ll never feel alone again. That’s what it’s supposed to feel like.

Except it doesn’t.

A car pulls up and Diggle gets out to open the back door. Barry hands him his bag and slips in.

And there’s Oliver in the seat, wearing jeans, a sweater, and sunglasses. He’s looking out his window away from Barry who pauses halfway inside, staring at the man.

“I won’t bite,” Oliver mumbles, glancing toward Barry and wincing before looking away.

Barry slides in taking the other end of the seat. The door closes and Barry hears Diggle toss his bag in the trunk then climbing into the driver’s seat.

The car itself isn’t a limo, but it’s got a divider between the front and back seats. Leather seats and a small bar proves this is still the fanciest car Barry’s ever been in. 

The silence is so thick, Barry’s afraid the smallest twitch would be so loud. It isn’t until they get on the freeway when Oliver sighs and pulls off the glasses.

“We’re not kidnapping you,” he says. “This isn’t even my idea.”

“What? Kidnapping me?”

Oliver says and Diggle chuckles, making Oliver flip a switch to raise the divider. 

“That’s not any less comforting,” Barry says. 

“I just,” Oliver bites out but stops himself. “I just want some privacy while we talk.”

“Talk?”

“You know? Talk. Get to know each other. Figure out what we want from this.”

Barry just stares, unsure of what’s going on. Oliver sighs again and leans forward so his elbows are resting on his knees.

“My name is Oliver Queen,” he starts, not looking at Barry. “I’m the son of Robert and Moira Queen, founders and CEO of Queen Consolidated. I’m a billionaire and as much as I come off as a party boy who doesn’t care, I’m always worried that the people around me only like me for my money and name.”

He looks back up to Barry. Barry doesn’t know how to respond so he doesn’t. Oliver takes his silence as an invitation to continue.

“My dad died five years ago in a boating accident. I was supposed to go with him but I decided to stay and party with my friend, Tommy.”

Oliver takes a deep breath.

“I should’ve been on that boat,” he whispers. “I should’ve died with my dad. Instead, I’m alive and screwing up the business he knew how to run.”

He puts his face in his hands. Barry watches. He knows about Oliver Queen. Iris always kept him in the loop of the latest celebrity gossip. Every time he’d heard about Oliver Queen, he always imagined some preppy frat boy that throws money and caution to the wind.

The man sitting before him is anything but. His whole body is tense as if he’s afraid he’ll fall apart if he’s not. His clothes are understated and don’t scream “Look at me!” If it weren’t for his physical attractiveness, Barry would probably think he’s some regular guy with normal problems and a normal life. 

Barry takes a deep breath.

“I’m Barry Allen,” he says.

Oliver’s head jerks up to look at him.

“I’m in school to become a forensic scientist because I want to catch bad guys like the guy who killed my parents when I was eleven.”

Oliver sucks in a breath and Barry turns to look out the window.

“Before she died, my mom used to tell me about having a soulmate and seeing colors. She tried to describe it all to me but she always said it wasn’t quite right. That was the one thing that kept me sane after, the thought that one day I wouldn’t be as alone as I felt that night.”

He looks back to Oliver and stares into his eyes. His blue eyes.

“I wish I could see the real color of your eyes,” he whispers.

He notices that Oliver’s eyes are shining.

“I’m so sorry, Barry,” he says. “I’m sorry that you’re stuck with me as a soulmate.”

Barry reaches forward and takes Oliver’s hand. 

“Let’s not be stuck with each other,” Barry says. “Let’s be together.”

He watches Oliver release his breath and sees him physically relax.

“Okay,” he whispers. “Let’s do that.”

Barry smiles and leans forward to pull Oliver into a hug. They hold each other, breathing in each other’s ears. Barry can smell Oliver’s cologne and he loves the sweet and spicy scent. 

They pull apart and Barry can’t stop the giggle that escapes him seeing Oliver’s smile.

“What?” Oliver asks, smiling more.

“You look handsome when you smile,” Barry says, blushing a little.

“So do you.”

Barry blushes more and he ducks his head to hide it. He clears his throat and looks out the window.

“Well, since we got the heavy stuff out of the way, what’s your favorite color?”

Oliver laughs and Barry looks back, feeling his heart flutter seeing Oliver so relaxed and happy.

“Green,” Oliver finally says, staring right into Barry’s eyes. “Just like your eyes.”

Barry could swear his heart skips a beat at that. He can’t look away from Oliver’s handsome face.

“What’s yours?” Oliver asks.

“Red, I think.”

Oliver nods.

“I wish you could see how I see it,” Oliver mutters. “You’d appreciate it more than me.”

“Maybe that’s the point,” Barry muses.

Oliver tilts his head and looks at him curiously.

“Maybe we’re supposed to see the world how the other would. That way we can understand each other better.”

Oliver blinks and a small smile forms.

“Maybe,” he says.

They talk the whole way back to Central City. Barry rambles about what he’s learned in college and Oliver regales him with stories about all the places he’s traveled, promising to take Barry along on the next adventure.

And all the while, Barry could swear that Oliver’s eyes become a brighter blue and his hair turns a little more gold. He smiles. Maybe they could work together to see the world on the same level.

Maybe that’s what a soulmate is. Someone to help you see the world properly. 


End file.
